The Fund Rises
A Wisconsin mother raised $1.2 million for the parents of Lindsay Clancy. Brandee Mulligan set up the GoFundMe page last month without asking the family first. She told the New York Post that the family was “extremely grateful and overwhelmed by all the support.” The fund is called “The Musgrove Family Fund .” Mulligan has no ties to Clancy or her ex-husband Patrick.
Mulligan said she started the drive because “as a mom, like your heart just goes out to Lindsay.” She noted that Clancy’s parents “have uprooted their whole life for three and a half years.” They have given everything to the cause. Mulligan later spoke with Clancy’s father and made him the sole beneficiary of the money.
Money Flows to Defense
Massachusetts has no law stopping accused criminals from accepting donations to fight charges. It is one of 23 states without a “Son of Sam” law. These laws stop killers from cashing in on their crimes. In New York, such laws came after filmmakers offered money to a serial killer for his story. Without this law, Clancy’s father could hand the cash to his daughter or pay for her defense.
Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, said “every nickel” spent on the defense came from the parents. He noted they were “pretty much depleting everything they have” to fund the legal fight. The GoFundMe page is the only one publicly confirmed by the platform as connected to the family.
Online Backlash Grows
Mulligan regularly posts on social media to support Clancy. She called the jury “truly a jury of her peers” after a mistrial on Sept. 4. She then lashed out at one juror, calling him “one f–king man.” Other posts she shared blamed Patrick Clancy for the murder of his three children. A former prosecutor questioned why Patrick wore different clothes in surveillance video.
Patrick Clancy’s attorney Howard Cooper slammed the “escalating campaign of misinformation” by influencers. He warned that “every appropriate measure will be pursued to hold them accountable.” He told Boston 25 News the spread of falsehoods must stop. He said this campaign has caused real threats to his client’s life and reputation.
Comparisons to Past Case
Some online users compare this case to a nurse in Ireland who killed her kids. Deirdre Morley smothered her three children on Jan. 24, 2020. That was three years to the day before Clancy killed her children. Morley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Her estranged husband said people are “just doing it just to be controversial and get a handful of likes.” He added that “the facts are the facts.” The outcome for Morley was very different than what awaits Clancy.
